


Permafusion

by AlexiHollis



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mostly Fluff, Protective Ruby, girlfriends protecting each other, protective sapphire, relationship becoming more serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-19 22:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10649676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiHollis/pseuds/AlexiHollis
Summary: After Ruby gets injured on the battlefield, Sapphire and Ruby discuss the possibility of becoming a permafusionOr"It's fusion, Sapphire! What's more personal to us than fusion?!"ORSapphire just wants to protect her protective fireball of a girlfriend





	Permafusion

The sun set on a bloodless battlefield. Shards glimmered amongst the sea of grass as Crystal Gems made their way, looking for gems merely poofed and bubbling away shards or enemy gems. A tension seeped into every movement; the longer the war went, the more shards left after battles and every soldier was needed to help in the recovery. Yet one soldier, a Ruby rarely seen without her fusion partner, Sapphire, was tucked away in a healing tent being looked after by the rebellion’s own leader, Rose Quartz.

“You should have been more careful,” Rose scolded gently as she rubbed her own tears into the deep cracks.

Ruby, weak and pale, merely shrugged. Rose watched the cracks slowly close back together.

“Ruby, you were almost _shattered_. You shouldn’t have unfused like that.”

“If I didn’t, that Jasper would’ve forced it anyway and shattered Sapphire immediately. It was the best option,” Ruby protested.

She didn’t understand why everyone was angry at her: Sapphire hadn’t said a word to her, only following when Bismuth scooped her up to rush her to the healing tent sued mostly by their human allies, not to mention the blacksmith yelling at her for her recklessness, and now Rose. It wasn’t like Ruby had been shattered or anything (she chose to ignore the small voice that whispered how even if she had been shattered, she preferred that outcome to Sapphire’s demise).

“Sapphire said that outcome wasn’t particularly probable.” Ruby didn’t like that it was an outcome at all.

“Garnet’s future vision is confusing, even for Sapphire. She can’t be sure how probable it was, especially after the fact.” Though, they were getting better at guessing.

Rose pulled a fur blanket over Ruby and fussed a little with the pillow behind Ruby’s head; it was for the benefit of the human healer across the tent who kept sending worried glances their way. The language barrier made it difficult enough to try and strategize battle plans, not to mention the humans were still confused by the rejection of food, the gems went along with pretending to be on sorts of bed rest when they got injured.

“She loves you, you know.”

Ruby fiddled with the hem of the blanket now resting over her chest, “Of course I know that. I love her, too.” It’s why Ruby had to protect her, she’d caused the aristocratic gem enough strife over the years.

“Then don’t make her watch you die,” Rose’s voice was soft and when Ruby turned her attention back to the Quartz, Rose’s gaze was fixed outside of the tent where a twig of gem stood waiting for her, unaware of the newfound attention. Pearl. Rose cleared her throat, turning back to Ruby. “I’ll let you rest.” Ruby groaned causing Rose to chuckle as she stood. “Goodbye, Ruby.”

Ruby gave a small wave goodbye with her right hand before looking up at the roof of the tent with a sigh. As the sun disappeared, the injured humans began to leave the tent, going to rest in their own homes, away from alien battlegrounds, eventually leaving Ruby alone. She could leave, if she wanted to, but at the moment there was something peaceful about lying in the soft cot, covered in furs.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Ruby nearly jumped out of her own skin at the sudden voice. Next to her bed was Sapphire, floating a few inches off the ground and allowing her to sneak up on the usually observant gem.

“Nothing awful happened,” Ruby shrugged. “I’m fine now, but this cot is really comfortable. Wanna join me?”

Sapphire wasn’t having any of Ruby’s attempts at distraction, “You almost getting shattered is an awful thing.”

“I wasn’t almost shat-”

“I still saw it,” Sapphire interrupted. “I had a vision of you being shattered and for a few seconds, I thought that was what had happened.” Her voice wobbled just slightly causing Ruby to sit up, ready to comfort Sapphire if needed. “I didn’t see Bismuth coming and poofing that Jasper, I saw your beautiful gem in a thousand pieces on the ground because you forced me away. To what? To try and save me?”

“Sapphire-”

“Why wouldn’t you let me help you?” Ruby couldn’t remember a time she saw Sapphire so emotional.

“I-I’m sorry.” Ruby fumbled. “Garnet had that vision and-and I got scared! I can’t lose you, the Crystal Gems can’t lose you! You’re too important, without you the rebellion’s lost.”

“We’re fighting this rebellion for the right to love each other,” Sapphire reminded, grabbing and holding Ruby’s hand firmly. “For the right to fuse and be Garnet.” For a moment, they let silence envelope them, a rare thing at a war camp. When Sapphire spoke again, her voice was as level and strong as ever before. “Before the battle, you said you might want to exist as a permafusion.”

“You said you would think about it.” Ruby completely understood Sapphire’s concerns. Being a permafusion would be a huge decision, one Ruby wasn’t even sure she was willing to make yet, but she wanted it on the table for later. For now, they were already fused more often than they were individuals.

“We should do it.” Ruby’s eyes went wide and her shapeshifted heart skipped a beat; she’d always been the more spontaneous of the two, but if Sapphire thought she was ready... “After today, we have-”

“Hold up,” Ruby slowly retracted her hand from Sapphire. “What do you mean ‘after today’?”

“Today just goes to show how little time we have,” Sapphire tried to explain. “We don’t have the luxury of hoping to one day be ready and, this way, we can protect each other.”

Ruby imagined this is the feeling the humans meant when they talked about having the wind knocked out of them: hard to breathe and slightly nauseous.

“We aren’t going to become a permafusion just because you want to protect me. Fusion is-it’s more than that, it’s-it’s…” Ruby was at a loss for words as she stared at Sapphire. “It isn’t just a tool, that isn’t why we fuse. Am-Am I wrong?”

“No, Ruby, that isn’t why we fuse, but you have to see the benefits of being able to protect _each other_.”

Ruby slipped out of the cot, putting distance between herself and Sapphire. “No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Sapphire asked. “I thought you wanted this, too.”

“I do!” Ruby exclaimed. “I definitely do, but not like this! Not because you feel forced, like you need to protect me!”

“But I do need to protect you.” Sapphire’s voice was soft. “Ruby, I need to protect you _because_ I love you.” She floated closer to Ruby, picking up her gem-baring hand and rubbing it reverently, like she’d done hundreds of times before. “If it had been you in that vision instead of me, I would’ve done the same exact thing.” A gloved hand caressed Ruby’s cheek. “And that scares me, because I’ve never loved someone nearly that much. I’m not suggesting this solely because I want to protect you, but because I don’t want to wait for a time that might never come.”

“…okay.”

“Pardon?” Ruby smirked a little at such an upper crust word, perfect for the Homeworld-ideology-destroying event about to occur.

“Let’s fuse.”

Sapphire smiled.


End file.
